NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5443
SPONSOR: Palmesano TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to the state
reimbursement of county payments for certain document management soft-
ware designed specifically for the child welfare industry
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To provide fiscal relief to counties who have purchased or will purchase
document management software designed specifically for the child welfare
industry.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends the social services law by adding a new paragraph (aa) to section
368-a of the social services law to require the State to reimburse coun-
ties if such county has previously purchased or intends to purchase
document management software designed specifically for the child welfare
industry. Further defines "document managing software" as a database
application that utilizes advanced document capture, storage, and
retrieval technology to establish a paperless environment both within
the agency and in the field.
JUSTIFICATION:
Local social services provide help to children who are the subject of
abuse, neglect or other forms of maltreatment. A case study of the
Chemung County Department of Social Services caseworkers found that only
21 of their time was spent in the field and the rest was being used on
documentation. After incorporating document management software, case-
workers were able to complete all the necessary documentation faster,
which allowed them to spend more time with the children and families
that need their help. Reproducing these results throughout the state
could greatly improve a county's ability to serve children and families
in need:
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022 referred to children and families
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined at this time. However, making the system more streamlined
efficient will significantly increase worker productivity and lower
active caseload burden on county's departments of social services.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5443
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PALMESANO, BLANKENBUSH, BRABENEC, BYRNES, DeSTE-
FANO, FRIEND, J. M. GIGLIO, MORINELLO, NORRIS, SMULLEN, TAGUE -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the state
reimbursement of county payments for certain document management soft-
ware designed specifically for the child welfare industry
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section
2 390-n to read as follows:
3 § 390-n. State reimbursement for document management software.
4 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the state shall reimburse a
5 local social services district the full amount expended by the local
6 social services district to provide services to children who are the
7 subject of abuse, neglect or other forms of maltreatment via the use of
8 document management software designed specifically for the child welfare
9 industry. Document management software shall be reimbursed by the state
10 if the county has previously purchased or intends to purchase such soft-
11 ware. For the purposes of this section, "document management software"
12 shall mean a database application that utilizes advanced document
13 capture, storage, and retrieval technology to establish a paperless
14 environment both within the agency and in the field. Any county that has
15 previously purchased such software must supply adequate documentation,
16 including any receipts, that details such purchase. The state shall
17 disburse grants, when applicable, from the general fund for this
18 purpose.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05291-01-3
